Molded pulp carton



Dec. 23, 1958 A. w. VAN DYKE MOLDED PULP CARTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJan. 19, 1954 IN VENTOR aim wwmw y,

Ham. wTFSMs ATTORNEY Dec. 23, 1958 A. w. VAN DYKE MOLDED PULP CARTON 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 19, 1954 llIIIIIIIIlIlI/III I I I I I I I I I5 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent i MOLDED PULP CARTON Arthur W.Van Dyke, Elizabeth, N. J., assignor to Dia mond Gardner Corporation, acorporation of Delaware The present invention relates to molded pulpcartons. More particularly, the present invention relates to molded pulpcartons that are adapted to be utilized for the packaging and display offood products, glass products, or the like.

Paper cartons have been in general usage for some time heretofore in theart of displaying food products and are desirable from the point of viewof shipping, particularly since the paper carton may be folded to a flatposition. However, paper cartons offer the inconvenience of assemblingand, moreover, do not provide the necessary protection for frangibleproducts, such as tomatoes, eggs, etc. Moreover, paper cartons are notconsidered to be good advertisers of the article to be sold, tending tocause the good features of the food article to be overlooked rather thanenhanced.

The molded pulp type display carton has been coming into usage more andmore in recent years for displaying food products and has been found tobe particularly advantageous for displaying or packaging food products,such as, for example, pies, cakes, eggs, etc. Prior to the instantinvention heretofore known molded pulp cartons were generally molded inthe configuration required for receiving the article to be displayed orpackaged and, in the case of egg cartons were provided with a pluralityof individual cells for receiving the eggs therein.

The molded pulp cartons have been found advantageous in use since theyare economical to manufacture, provide a relatively rigid structure forshipping fragile food products such as eggs and can be molded into anyconfiguration desired for conveniently displaying food products to theirbest advantage. However, the heretofore known molded pulp cartons havealso been found to be undesirable in certain respects, which haveprevented their wider spread use in the food industry. Heretofore themolded pulp cartons have been molded in one position, that positionbeing designed for a particular food product, for example, meat, pies,cakes, or eggs. Since the cartons must be shipped to the user inrelatively large quantities, the amount of cartons delivered ismaterially decreased due to the fact that the cartons must be stackedone on the other. This creates a problem in shipping and furthermoreincreases the cost of the carton. For example, many of the molded pulpcartons used heretofore must be stacked for shipment one on top of theother since the rigid cellular structure cannot be folded or compressedin any manner. Consequently, the use of the molded cellular carton fordisplaying food products has not been found practical heretofore mainlybecause such a carton has created a space problem both in shipping andhandling.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a moldedpulp carton that is molded in a position for shipping and issubsequently moved to a display position.

Another object of the present invention is to pro- 2,865,547 PatentedDec. 23, 1958 vide a molded pulp carton that may be nested for shippingpurposes.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a moldedpulp cellular carton that may be nested with similar cellular cartonsfor shipping purposes.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a moldedpulp carton that is formed with a plurality of cells for receiving foodarticles for display therein.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a moldedpulp carton having a plurality of walls, the carton being formed on asingle mold and stripped therefrom with the walls disposed in an openposition, thereby enabling the carton to be nested with other similarmolded cartons for shipping.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a moldedpulp carton having a plurality of walls, the walls being disposedparallel to the vertical axis of the carton when the carton is locatedin the display position.

Still another object of the present invention is to mold a cellularcarton with the inner walls thereof divergent to the vertical axis ofthe carton thereby providing for nesting of the carton for shipping.

Still another objectof the present invention is to provide a moldedcellular carton that is provided with inner walls which are positionedadjacent one another to define an upper edge, the upper edge beinginclined toward the center of the carton in the molded position, therebyretaining the inner walls in a divergent position with respect to thevertical axis of the carton.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a moldedcellular carton having inner walls defining upper edges, the upper edgesbeing moved through a neutral zone to a display position, whereby theyare inclined away from the center of the carton to securely' Fig. 3 is abottom plan view of the molded cellular carton shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the carton embodied herein illustratingin doted lines the position of the upper edges of the inner walls in themolded or shipping position and showing in full lines the carton locatedin a neutral position just prior to being moved to the display posltion;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view illustrating the carton in the closed ordisplay position;

Fig. 6 is a vertical view of the closed carton taken along lines 6--6 inFig. 7;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the molded cellular carton as seen in thedisplay position; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of a cartonillustrating a modification of the structure of the inner walls.

Generally, the present invention'comprises a molded 3. The; top "edgesof the inner 'wailsare inclined away from a center section of the cartonin the molded position but are adapted to be moved through a neutralzone or horizoiital pbsitibn to'a dlsplaypositi'dn. As theiinner walltop edges move through the neutral zone, a' snap action is efiected,which brings "the "adjacent inner walls'into abutting andverticalrelation. 'Inthis closedor' display position, the inner'walltop" edges are inclined downwardly and away fromthe'cartoncentersection andthereby act to positively retainthe innerwalls in'the display position. With thecarton'arrangedin th'edisplayposition, a food articleor the like such as, for example, a tomato, may'beplaced in each cell and an' overwrap secured to the bottom of thecarton and wrapped around the open cell portion completely-enclosing thefood articles and thereby providing an attractive and sanitary displaypackage.

Referring now to the drawings; and particularly Figs. 1, 2 and 3, thecarton embodied in -the present invention is' illustrated as it' ismolded in the open or nesting position and includes a-plurality ofcells, each including a bottom wall 10. Although the present inventionillustrates a'four-celledcarton, it is'ap'parent that any number ofcells could'be formed in a single carton. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, thebottom walls are each formed in a separate plane when the carton isinitially molded. Integrally joined to the bottom wall 10 and formingthe outside edge of each cell are shortened outer walls 12 and 14, theouter walls 12, 14 being molded outwardly divergent with respect to thebottomwall 10. The outer walls 12 and 14 are joined at a rounded cornerportion 16, the corner portion forming the cornerof the carton. Joinedto the divergent outer walls 12, 14 and extending outwardly therefrom isa flange portion 18 which not only provides a gripping portion forstripping the carton from the molds, but provides convenient lifting ofthe carton when in use. Joined to the bottom wall 10 and outer wall 12and extending upwardly therefrom substantially above the outer wall 12is an inner wall 20. Similarly joined to the bottom wall 10 and outerwall 14 and extending upwardly therefrom substantially above the outerWall 14 is an inner wall 22. As illustrated in Figs. land 2, the innerwalls 20, 22 are located (as molded) in perpendicular relation withrespect to the bottom wall 10 but are positioned in divergent relationwith respect to the vertical axis of the carton. Each inner wall 20 islocated adjacent an inner wall 22 of the adjacent cell and is hingedlyconnected thereto by an upper edge 24. As shown in Fig. 2, the upperedges 24 are inclined inwardly toward the center of the carton for apurpose to be described hereinafter.

In order to form a more rigid carton and to complete the cellularconfiguration thereof,- a center post arrangement is provided andincludes a center post top wall 26 which is square in configuration andis disposed in a horizontal plane. If the carton is formed with agreater or lesser number of cells than illustrated, then theconfiguration of the center post will vary accordingly. Hingedlydepending from each side of the square top wall 26 is a center post sidewall 28 which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is molded angularly withrespect to the top wall. Each center post side wall 28 is alsointegrally joined to'its' adjacent inner walls 20, 22 and to the bottomwall 10 while the square top wall 26 is movably connected at the cornersthereof to the upper edges 24, thereby completing the cell structure ofeach cellular unit.

As described hereinabove, the cellular carton embodied in the presentinvention is molded from pulp material and is stripped from the moldingdies in the open, or shipping position, which position is illustrated inFigs. 1, 2 and By molding the carton in the open position, the strippingoperation is greatly facilitated since the carton walls are located in adivergent relation. Moreover,- the cartons, as molded, may be nestedtogether for shipp1ng, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby eliminating a space4- problem' which is "extremely desirablefroni an economical point ofview.

Although only three cartons are illustrated in the nested position inFig. 2, it is understood that as many cartons as practically possiblemay be nested together as a complete bundle when the cartons areactually packed for shipment.

The description of the carton as related above has been directed to themanner in which the carton is actually molded and to the configurationof the molded carton. It is apparent that the carton cannot be utilizedfor display purposes in the molded position and, therefore, must bemoved to the closed or display position. Referring now to Fig. 4, thecarton is shown being moved from the molded or shipping position to theclosed or display position. As illustrated, the dotted line position ofthe inner walls 20, 22 indicates the molded position of the carton. Theupper edges 24 are therefore inclined toward the center of the carton asdescribed 'herein'above. When the carton is advanced from the moldedposition toward the closed or display position, a neutral zone isreached, wherein the upper edges 24 are approximately horizontal. Up tothis point, themovement of the cell walls has been forced, the upperedges 24 in combination with the inner walls 20, 22 resisting innermovement due to the compression forces set up in the. inner wallstructure. As the top edges 24 are moved through the neutral zone, theyapproach a point wherein they slope outwardly away from the center ofthe carton". The inner walls are then positively moved into engagementin abutting relation and assume a vertical position, as. illustrated inFigs. 5-7. Actually, a snap action of the inner walls will be effectedwhen thetop edges 24 move below the neutral zone and thus the adjacentinner walls will be forced into engagement with one another, therebymoving the bottom walls 10 into a horizontal position and inperpendicular relation with respect to the inner walls 20, 22 and outerpost sidewalls 28. As shown in'Figs. 57, the cellular arrangement of thecarton in the display position is complete, the inner walls 20, 22 andthe center post side walls 28 being located in a vertical position andthe bottom w'all 10 being located horizontally and parallel with thecenter posttop wall 26. With the cartonlocated in the display positionshown in Figs. 5-7, articles of food or the like may be inserted in eachcell for the purposes of display. If the carton complete with articledisplayed is to be offered for sale, a convenient overwrap may besecured to the underside of the carton and wrapped around the top of thearticle disposed in the cellular portion of the carton and then securedto the carton by some convenient means, such as an adhesive. Thecomplete carton then forms an attractive display unit, providing a rigidstructure and thereby enabling the article to bedisplayed without fearof abusive handling. Moreover, the article is displayed to its bestadvantage. 2

Referring now to Fig. 8, a modification of the present invention isillustrated and comprises a modified inner wall structure. The modifiedinner wall structure is de signed, to render the inner walls'moreresistant to objectionable handling and includes an inner wall 30 whichis formed with a plurality of horizontally extending undulations orcorrugations. An adjacent inner wall 32 is formed with a plurality ofvertically extending undulations or corrugations and thereby cooperateswith the horizontal corrugations to provide 7 a buffer zone forpreventing the" breakage of frangibleobjects to be displayed in thecarton. a p

It is apparent fromfthe description of the" invention that the moldedcellular carton embodied herein is designed to offer an economicaldisplay carton that may be molded in a simple manner. Moreover, aplurality of cartons may be conveniently stacked in nested relation for:shipping, and the carton when utilized for dis:

play is quickly and simply moved to the display position. The centerpost not only provides a rigid carton construction but, in addition,serves as a, supporting member when filled cartons are stacked one onthe other in the display position.

It is also contemplated forming the cell walls in corrugated sheetswhich would relieve pressures exerted on the carton due to stacking orhandling. It is apparent therefore that the present invention providesthat the displayed article is not only fully protected from abusivehandling, but, in addition, is displayed to its fullest advantage.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made without departing from the spirit of the invention and thereforethe invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings anddescribed in the specification but only as indicated in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. A molded pulp carton comprising a top wall and at least three likecells hingedly joined to said top wall, each of said cells including abottom wall and inner walls, said inner walls being disposed indivergent relation and hingedly joined to an adjacent inner wall of anadjacent cell, said bottom walls being positioned in different planesrelated to each other in such manner that, when said walls are hingedlymoved to bring the adjacent inner walls into contacting relation, thebottom walls are in coplanar relation.

2. A molded pulp carton comprising a top wall and at least three likecells hingedly joined to said top wall, each of said cells including abottom wall and inner walls and each of said cells being hingedly joinedto an adjacent cell by the top edge of the adjacent inner walls thereof,said adjacent inner walls being molded in diverging relation and thebottom walls being molded in different planes, said inner walls of eachcell being substantially perpendicular to the bottom wall thereof,wherein said walls are adapted to be hingedly moved to bring theadjacent inner walls into contacting relation and the bottom walls intocoplanar relation.

3. A molded pulp carton comprising a top polygonal wall and a pluralityof at least three like cells hingedly joined to said top wall, each ofsaid cells including a bottom wall and inner walls and each of saidcells being hingedly joined to an adjacent cell along the top edge ofthe adjacent inner walls, said adjacent inner walls being normally indiverging relation and the bottom walls being in different planes andsloping inwardly, said inner walls of each cell being substantiallyperpendicular to the bottom wall thereof, wherein said walls are adaptedto hinge downwardly and bring the adjacent inner walls into contactingrelation and the bottom walls into coplanar relation.

4. A molded pulp article comprising a multi-cell carton having a centerpost formed by one Wall of each cell, each cell including a bottom walland inner walls on each side of the said one wall, the inner walls ofeach cell being hingedly joined to the inner wall of an adjacent cell atthe upper edge thereof only, said bottom walls being molded inindependent inclined planes and said inner walls being molded indifferent planes and in divergent relation with respect to the verticalaxis of said carton, said cells being rotatable with respect to saidcenter post to locate said cellular bottom walls in coplanar relationand the hingedly connected inner walls in abutting relation with eachother.

5. A molded pulp article as set forth in claim 4 wherein one of saidinner walls is formed with corrugations and the adjacent wall is formedwith oppositely extending corrugations.

6. A molded pulp article comprising a multi-cell carton having a centerpost formed by one wall of each cell, each cell including a bottom walland inner walls, on each side of the said one wall, the inner walls ofeach cell being hingedly joined to the inner wall of an adjacent cell atthe upper edge thereof only, said bottom walls being molded inindependent inclined planes and said inner walls being molded indivergent relation with respect to the vertical axis of said carton, theupper edge of said adjacent cells sloping inwardly toward said centerpost, said cells being rotatable with respect to said center post tolocate said cellular bottom walls in coplanar relation and the hingedlyconnected inner walls in abutting relation with each other whereby theupper edge of said adjacent cells slope outwardly away from said centerpost.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,440,547 Luellen Jan. 2, 1923 1,595,356 Moseman Aug. 10, 1926 1,945,013Wilson Jan. 30, 1934 2,091,126 Speer Aug. 24, 1937 2,162,162 MurguiondoJune 13, 1939 2,252,297 MacIntyre Aug. 12, 1941 2,433,211 Gits Dec. 23,1947

